Compu$erve, Netscape offering Lotus Notes competitor

There is no mention in either of these articles about what encryption
protection will be used; it does appear that Netscape Navigator software will
be used, which does have some protections (very little for the out-of-US stuff,
of course). Jeff?
	-Allen

>Copyright 1996 Nando.net
>Copyright 1996 Bloomberg

>COLUMBUS, Ohio (May 9, 1996 12:41 p.m. EDT) -- CompuServe Corp. this fall
>will offer corporate customers Netscape Communications Corp. software used
>to share documents over computer networks.

>The move presents another challenge to International Business Machines
>Corp.'s Lotus Notes software, whose popularity has declined as companies opt
>for cheaper Internet software capable of many of the features Notes offers.

>Using Netscape's software, company employees and partners in distant offices
>can exchange and work on documents at the same time. Netscape also is
>developing audio and video technology that will let employees talk to each
>other.

[...]

>Columbus, Ohio-based CompuServe already offers Lotus Notes and decided to
>strike an agreement with Netscape because customers were asking for a
>similar, cheaper product.

[...]

>CompuServe will offer Netscape's server software, used to relay information,
>and Internet browsing software. Terms of the marketing and development
>agreement weren't disclosed.

>Netscape's software is based on technology it acquired with the purchase
>last year of Collabra Software Inc.

[...]

>Copyright 1996 Nando.net
>Copyright 1996 Reuter Information Service

>COLUMBUS, Ohio (May 9, 1996 12:47 p.m. EDT) - CompuServe Corp. and Netscape
>Communications Corp. said Thursday they will jointly create a managed
>intranet service that will allow a company's employees to communicate over
>in-house computer networks.

[...]

>Intranets refer to private corporate networks that are designed to make use
>of Internet software tools.

>Under the strategic partnership, the two firms will offer so-called
>groupware, a category of software that allows employees to share
>applications and electronic mail. They will manage such networks on behalf
>of corporate customers.

>Customers will have access to features such as electronic mail, online
>discussion groups and document-sharing that allow them to share and
>co-develop information in new ways.

>The service is slated to be available this fall, using Netscape's Navigator
>browser and server software.

E. ALLEN SMITH wrote:
> 
>         There is no mention in either of these articles about what encryption
> protection will be used; it does appear that Netscape Navigator software will
> be used, which does have some protections (very little for the out-of-US stuff,
> of course). Jeff?

  I don't really know any details about this deal, but it looks like
they are just using our normal software (Navigator, HTTP server, NNTP
server, etc.)  I don't know how many of compuserve's customers are
outside the US & Canada, but any that are will be subject to normal
export restrictions (limited to 40-bit RC4).  US and Canadian
customers should be able to use US versions that have 3DES and 128-bit
RC4.

	--Jeff

-- 
Jeff Weinstein - Electronic Munitions Specialist
Netscape Communication Corporation
jsw@netscape.com - http://home.netscape.com/people/jsw
Any opinions expressed above are mine.